Top notch visuals and stellar sound accompany the Blu-Ray Combo, lead the way through the film and continue as fans are taken through a variety of supplemental bonus features with Director Shawn Levy on the making of the film. Exclusive features include a bare-knuckled exposé of the life story of Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), deleted and extended scenes that go deeper into the film and storylines, and a riveting profile with legendary boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard. Plus, the revolutionary Real Steel Second Screen app lets viewers sync their iPad™* or computer with the Blu-ray movie to peel back layers of effects with progression reels, check out 360-degree turnarounds of the robots, explore seamless branching pods that delve into the cutting-edge technology used to create the fights, and much more.

Bonus Features for the set include:

3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD + 1 Digital Copy)
All 2-Disc Blu-ray Bonus Features
All DVD Bonus Features

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (1 Blu-ray Disc + 1 DVD)
REAL STEEL SECOND SCREEN
Countdown to the Fight—The Charlie Kenton Story
Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman’s Champ
Deleted and Extended Scenes with introductions by Shawn Levy
—Extended “Meet Ambush”
—Deleted “Butterfly” Storyline
PLUS All DVD Bonus Features

1-Disc DVD (1 DVD)
Making of Metal Valley
Building the Bots
Bloopers

HIGH-DEFINITION & STANDARD DEFINITION DIGITAL
Sugar Ray Leonard: Cornerman’s Champ
PLUS All DVD Bonus Features

REAL STEEL was ranked as #1 at the box office for two weeks during its run. The film is directed by Shawn Levy (Night At the Museum franchise, Date Night and What Happens in Vegas), produced by Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List), with a screenplay by John Gatins (Coach Carter, Summer Catch). The film has a host of well known stars including Hugh Jackman (X-Men franchise, Australia) as Charlie Kenton, Evangeline Lilly (TV’s Lost, The Hurt Locker) as Bailey Tallet, Dakota Goyo (Thor) as Max Kenton, Kevin Durand (I Am Number Four, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Ricky, and Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau, The Hurt Locker) as Finn.

Here are the specs for REAL STEEL:

STREET DATE: January 24, 2012
Direct Pre-book: November 29, 2011
Distributor Pre-book: December 13, 2011

Release Formats & 3-Disc Blu-ray = $44.99 U.S./$51.99 Canada
Suggested Retail 2-Disc Blu-ray = $39.99 U.S./ $46.99 Canada
Pricing: 1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
HD Digital = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
SD Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
On-Demand = check with your television provider or favorite digital retailer for pricing

Feature Run Time: 127 Minutes
Ratings: U.S.: PG-13 / CANADA: PG (bonus not rated)
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: 1.85:1
DVD: 1.85:1
Audio: Blu-ray: 5.1 DTS HD-MA; 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital
DVD: 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital

For fans of the film, stay connected and find out more about this release as the release date approaches through Social Media!

“Like” the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/RealSteelMovie
Follow us on Twitter at @realsteelmovie
Visit the website at www.steelgetsreal.com
View videos at www.YouTube.com/RealSteelMovie
Connect with Facebook and Twitter via Real Steel Second Screen

Technorati Tags: Real Steel, Hugh Jackman, Dreamworks, Family Film, BLu-Ray, Combo Pack, Release, Trailer, Video, Future, Drama, Action

Participants must be at least 18 years old to enter the “Super 8: Watch It &
Walk-On” sweepstakes and will be allowed one entry per day during the sweepstakes period. Two winners will be randomly chosen in December from among all the entries and will receive travel to the filming city, as well as accommodation for two nights for a non-speaking walk-on role. For complete rules and terms, please visit www.Super8Sweeps.com.

The SUPER 8 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack with Digital Copy debuts on November 22nd and boasts more than two hours of enthralling special features including eight behind-the-scenes featurettes, an in-depth deconstruction of the breathtaking train crash, interviews with cast and crew including J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg and more.

For more information follow @Super8Movie on Twitter!

Rules to Enter the Sweepstakes
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. INTERNET ACCESS REQUIRED. Void where prohibited. Open to permanent legal residents of the 48 contiguous U.S. and D.C. (excludes AK, HI, Guam, Puerto Rico, & all other U.S. territories and possessions and military installations overseas) not convicted of a felony. Must be age of majority & 18 years or older as of date of entry. Starts 11/20/11 at 12:01 am PST & ends 12/4/11 at 11:59 pm PST. There will be 2 winners. ARV of each prize: $1100. Total ARV of all of the prizes: $2,200. Actual prizes may vary. Prize restrictions apply. Subject to Official Rules. For Official Rules and details about the sweepstakes, go to www.super8sweeps.com. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Must be able to travel on Sponsor-selected dates to participate in prize events and travel. Sponsor: Paramount Home Entertainment Inc., 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California 90038. TM, ® & © 2011 by Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Technorati Tags: Super 8 Sweepstakes, Super 8 Film, Film Release, Paramount Pictures, J.J. Abrahms, Star Trek, Frontier, Motion Picture, Walk-On, Role

This set offers a selection of special features such as audio commentaries with the film creators, a “making-of” featurette plus a bonus TV episode of “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” Thor: Tales of Asgard will be available in a Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD.

SYNOPSIS
Before he ever lifted his mighty hammer, there was the sword. Fantastic journeys beckon from the mysterious nine realms. Places of dark mists and fiery voids. Of winged creatures and giants in the ice. And the most alluring quest of all – the search for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur. Hungry for adventure, Thor secretly embarks on the journey of a lifetime, joined by his loyal brother Loki, whose budding sorcery equips him with just enough magic to conjure up trouble, along with the Warriors Three – a band of boastful travelers reluctant to set sail on any adventure that might actually be dangerous. But what starts out as a harmless treasure hunt quickly turns deadly, and Thor must now prove himself worthy of the destiny he covets by saving Asgard itself.

BLU-RAY COMBO PACK & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
-Audio commentary with Supervising Producer Craig Kyle and Screenwriter Greg Johnson
-Audio commentary with Supervising Director Gary Hartle, Animation Director Sam Liu and Character Designer Phil Bourassa
-Worthy: The Making of Thor: Tales of Asgard” featurette
-The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Bonus Episode from the new hit TV series

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2009
Title Copyright: Marvel, Thor, all related trademarks, service marks, character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are proprietary to Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries and are used with permission. “THOR: TALES OF ASGARD” COPYRIGHT © 2009 Marvel Entertainment. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Type: Home Entertainment Premiere
Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Television, Animation, Action, Adventure, Children
Closed Captioned: DVD – English; Blu-Ray – English SDH
Subtitles: English
DVD Format: 16×9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Blu-ray Format: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Feature Run Time: 77 minutes
DVD Audio Status: 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital
Blu-ray Audio Status: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Website: http://www.marvel.com

Technorati Tags: Thor: Tales of Asgard, Marvel Comics, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Thor, Comic Book, Comic Book Character, Blu-Ray, DVD, cartoon, animated feature, animation

How did you get involved with the project?
I auditioned. It was a funny process because I nearly didn’t go into the audition. I knew it was a Disney film and I thought that everyone and their mother would be auditioning for the role. I thought to myself, ‘Why am I going to set myself up for this disappointment?’ But then I realized that I might as well throw my name into the hat. There aren’t many auditions in the world where you get to sing a song and read a scene, so I went for it. I still can’t believe that I got a callback and ended up with the job. It’s crazy.

How would you describe the audition process?
I auditioned a few times at Disney. I had to read a couple of scenes and I had to sing something for the audition, so I brought a Joni Mitchell song along with me.

Which Joni Mitchell song did you choose?
I sang “Help Me,” which is a song I love to sing. It was fun, but I didn’t really think much of the audition because I heard there were so many people going for the role. I kept thinking to myself, ‘What are the chances of me getting this role? It’s very slim.’

How nervous were you at the audition?
To be honest, it wasn’t too nerve wracking. It was actually pretty fun because you never get to sing in auditions and I love to sing. I just went in there and did my best.

How did you react when you were told you’d won the role?
I was so excited when I found out I was going to be the voice of Rapunzel. I remember the moment clearly. I was working in New York at the time. I was with some friends and my husband – and I screamed as soon as I found out the news. I was over the moon.

How is Rapunzel different to the other Disney princesses?
Rapunzel is a bit more relatable than the other princesses, especially because she doesn’t even know that she’s a princess until the very end of the movie. I like to think of her as the bohemian Disney princess. She’s barefoot and living in a tower. She paints and reads… She’s a Renaissance woman.

Does Rapunzel look like you?
I like to say that we look like one another, but the character was developed way before I had anything to do with it. In that respect, I think that any similarities are probably coincidental, although I’m very happy with how she looks.

What went through your mind the first time you saw Rapunzel animated?
It took my breath away. I couldn’t believe how much of a sweetheart she looked. The detail on her face was mind-boggling and her hair was insane. You can see each individual strand. That’s pretty intense.

What’s your favorite memory from working on the animation?
Recording the music was one of the biggest highlights for me. I’d never experienced working on a sound stage with a 65-piece orchestra before. I remember sitting there with (composer) Alan Menken and Zach Levi (who voices Flynn Rider in Tangled). I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow… Remember this experience, Mandy. This is a special, once-in-a-lifetime moment.’

Can you take us through the recording process for the music of the movie?
Sure. First of all, Zach and I sang in the middle of the sound stage along with the orchestra so that everybody could get a feel for the music and the singing. As soon as everyone had a feel for the vibe, Zach and I went into isolation booths and sung there instead. It was such an unreal process. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life. To know that I was one little piece of this huge wall of sound was beautiful.

Did you enjoy recording the dialogue for the movie, too?
That was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of hard work because I didn’t have any of the animation to look at. All I had to work off were a few sketches. I was standing in a recording booth and it can get pretty lonely in there, but it was also fun because it allows you to go into the depths of your imagination. You have to draw a picture in your head as to what this world looks like. You have to imagine where your character is going and what she is doing. It felt like I was a little girl playing pretend all on my own.

How did you come up with the voice of Rapunzel?
I don’t know. I just walked into the sound booth and I let myself go. I had to be as unguarded as possible and I had to explore the character, even though it sometimes felt totally goofy and weird.

How did you prepare for the sound booth? Did you do any vocal warm-ups before you entered the room?
No, I didn’t do anything like that. If I was singing in the sound booth, then I would do some vocal warm-ups, but that was it. I didn’t do anything different if I was just recording regular dialogue.

What are your favorite Disney movies?
Growing up, I was obsessed with Disney movies like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty And The Beast. I was always singing the songs from these movies, so to find myself in the studio with Alan Menken was an amazing experience. In fact, it was a dream come true. I couldn’t believe it. I was standing next to the man who created all these iconic songs as I was trying to encompass Rapunzel. It was a very special moment in my life.

And finally… Why should we buy Tangled on DVD?
Because it’s the perfect combination of quintessential Disney fairytale storytelling with a wonderful contemporary edge. There is lots of humor, music and adventure in the movie. There’s something for everyone in Tangled.

TANGLED is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download March 29th!

Technorati Tags: Tangled, Mandy Moore, Interview, Rapunzel, Videos, Movie Clips, DVD Release, Blu-Ray Release, Disney, Pixar, Animated Film

What can you tell us about Flynn’s past?
During the movie, we discover that Flynn had a crap childhood. He changed his name and he was driven towards a very selfish life because he didn’t have much fun as a child. However, he starts to change when he discovers Rapunzel. Here is a girl who has been cooped up in a tower for 18 years. She has never seen the outside world and yet she is still very loving. She’s not jaded at all.

How similar are Rapunzel and Flynn?
These are two very different characters that end up learning a lot from each other on a rather crazy adventure. In fact, I like to think of Tangled as an animated, family-friendly Romancing The Stone. In my eyes, that’s exactly what the movie is like to watch.

How did you get involved with the movie?
I got a call inviting me to audition for Disney’s new animated musical – and I was immediately sold. I am a huge fan of Disney. I have been a fan ever since I was a little kid. In fact, I’ve always dreamed of being a voice in a Disney animation and I’ve always wanted to sing for Disney, so this opportunity was a dream come true.

Did you have to sing for your Tangled audition?
I was told to prepare a singer-songwriter song for the audition and the first thing that came to my mind was a James Taylor track called “Sweet Baby James.” If somebody says ‘pop’ to me, I think of Michael Jackson or Justin Timberlake. If somebody says ‘singer-songwriter’, the first person I think of is James Taylor. There are plenty of modern singer-songwriters, but there is something about James Taylor that has always resonated with me.

How worried were you about the singing aspect of the audition?
I’ve sung my whole life, so I wasn’t too worried. My singing has mostly been for fun but I’ve also done a lot of musical theater, so I have booked jobs based on my voice before. It wasn’t like I was walking into the room and talking to Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson about a potential musical career.

You sound pretty confident about your singing voice…
Well, I know what I sound like when I sing. It wasn’t like I have parents that have told me my whole life, “Honey, you sing amazingly.” And then I get into sing for an audition and people scream, “Boo! You’re rubbish. Find another vocation.” I certainly felt comfortable enough in the audition room.

If you enjoy singing, does this mean you enjoy karaoke, too?
Karaoke is interesting because I think there is a method to the madness. I believe in choosing songs that have audience participation where everyone claps or sings along with the chorus. You’ve got to get everybody on your side and it’s easy to do that if you choose something with a great deal of audience participation.

Can you give us some examples?
Songs like “Sweet Caroline” feature a good amount of audience participation. It’s cheesy, but if it hasn’t been done all night, somebody has got to do it. I also love singing Journey, but it’s out of my key. Unless they have some kind of a key changer, I can’t really do it.

What about a classic like “Ice Ice Baby”?
This is the problem… You don’t want to be too ironic. If you get too ironic and everyone thinks you’re trying too hard, then you fail at karaoke. Nobody does “Ice Ice Baby” right now. Leave it two more years and “Ice Ice Baby” will be back on top. Not yet, though. Leave it for now.

You mentioned earlier than Flynn changed his name as a child. Did you ever consider changing your name when you were younger?
No, not really. I don’t think things like that ever crossed my mind.

You never wanted to call yourself Han Solo or anything like that?
Oh, I wish I had. Can you imagine how amazing that would’ve been? I want to be the coolest parent ever and name my son Han Solo. At first, my son would think, ‘I have the most stupid name in the world.’ And then he would slowly realize over time, ‘No, I was wrong… Han Solo is the coolest name ever. I could have been Chewbacca!’

Is Zachary Levi your real name?
My last name is Pugh. My middle name is Levi. The only name change I’ve gone through is dropping the Pugh and sticking with the Levi – but that’s it. It was very subtle.

Flynn Ryder is a bandit in the movie. What is your most roguish quality?
Wow, that’s a tough question to answer. Well, I guess I’m a wicked video game player. When it comes to video games, I show no mercy! I can also wear the same clothes for a week straight. That’s probably the most offensive thing that I do.

Did you enjoy working in the sound booth for Tangled?
It was a great experience. However, I found it a little strange because I was alone in the sound booth. I thought I might record some of the dialogue with Mandy Moore (who voices Rapunzel), but that didn’t happen. Everyone records the dialogue separately.

How did you come up with the voice of Flynn?
I wanted Flynn to be different to my normal voice. I think that was appropriate given that it’s a fantasy world set in a medieval, renaissance-style era. If the movie was set in modern times, I’d use my regular voice – but I wanted him to sound different to my regular cadence.

Were you excited to discover that your character in Tangled provides much of the comedy of the movie?
I was incredibly happy, but I have to admit that the animals steal the show. When it comes to the comedy of Tangled, the gecko and the horse are outstanding. W.C. Fields said never work with kids or animals, but the gecko and the horse end up stealing my thunder.

What makes you laugh?
Every Pixar movie makes me laugh uncontrollably. My friends are all starting to have little kids, so we all end up watching Pixar movies a lot. I can sit and watch Pixar movies over and over again. They never get boring.

What’s your favorite Pixar movie?
I’ve seen all of the Pixar movies – Cars, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Toy Story – and they all make me laugh, but Nemo is definitely the best in my book. Ellen DeGeneres is hysterical as Dory, although I think Tangled is certainly up there with the comedy, too. It certainly made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions!

TANGLED is Available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download March 29th!

Technorati Tags: Tangled, Zachary Levi, Interview, Flynn Rider, Videos, Movie Clips, DVD Release, Blu-Ray Release, Disney, Pixar, Animated Film

I just happen to have some of the Concept Art, in celebration of the impending release:

…and here’s an interview with John Lasseter. It’s bound to get you in the mood to want to pick up a copy of this, when it is released next week!

What makes the newest Disney animation, Tangled, so special?
This movie is special because it’s the 50th animated motion picture from the Walt Disney Animation Studios. This is the studio that started it all with Snow White And The Seven Dwarves many years ago. This is the studio that has never stopped making animated films. It’s never closed its doors. I’m so proud that Tangled is the 50th feature in our history. It’s a very fresh-looking movie, it’s very funny and the characters are great. The story is emotional and the songs are fantastic. I’m incredibly proud of it.

How would you describe the story of Tangled?
The story is based upon the well-loved tale of Rapunzel, but this has a fresh, modern and contemporary feel to it. The characters and the humor are very modern – but it is also a story with a heart. The hallmark of every Disney film is its heart. That’s what Disney animation is all about. Walt Disney always said, “For every laughter, there should be a tear.” And that’s something we truly believe in.

How do you add the ‘heart’ to your movies?
We always strive to create movies that are funny and entertaining. We want characters that are so engaging and appealing that you want to be with them – but it’s that heart of the movie that stands out for me. It’s the heart of the movie that makes audiences remember how a film made them feel. We can all sit around and talk forever about our favorite movies and why they are our favorites – but the thing that always drives me is that emotion is a key part of storytelling. The heart is not something you can add at the end of the movie.

How do you ensure that all your movies have heart and emotion?
I insist that we have internal screenings of every story reel every three to four months. No matter whether the filmmakers want to show their work or not, they have to show it internally; it’s not their choice. We all watch the work as a group and we get together afterwards to talk about it. We talk honestly and what’s nice is that it’s a peer-to-peer discussion. That’s how we see how movies are progressing. We can make sure it has heart and emotion at this early stage before we progress any further.

What is the secret to great storytelling?
We’ve always lived by three rules. Firstly, you have to tell a compelling story that keeps people on the edge of their seat. Secondly, you populate that story with memorable and appealing characters. Thirdly, you put those stories and characters in a believable world. It doesn’t have to be a realistic world – that’s for the live action folks – but it has to be a believable world.

What challenges did you face when you were coming up with the story of Rapunzel?
When it comes to well-loved tales from the past, logic wasn’t necessarily part of the original storytelling. You’re constantly thinking, ‘Wait a minute… Why do they do that?’ We had to do a lot of work on the story of Rapunzel to make everything logical and believable – but I think that’s something that the story team did really well.

What other challenges did you face?
This was a very, very challenging and complex film – and we held the bar extremely high, especially with the animation, the character design and the modeling of the characters. It’s very, very difficult to animate human characters and make them believable because everyone in the audience looks at a human in the mirror every day. You see humans everywhere you go, whether it’s a family member over the dinner table or a stranger commuting to work. And so, in order to make a believable human, you have to do it really well. You have a lot more leeway with a talking horse or a talking toy because you’re making it up – but a human is different. A human is much more challenging. We wanted these characters to become some of the best human characters ever animated in computer animation – and I think we’ve achieved that. It’s terrific.

What challenges did you face when it came to Rapunzel’s hair?
I think the technical group did an amazing job with the hair in Tangled. We knew all along that there was going to be lots and lots of hair in this movie, but it was a real challenge because it had to look perfectly natural. One of the difficulties in creating a film is that people put an immense amount of time and effort into things that never get noticed. If they don’t do a good job, the audience notices it – but you don’t want them to notice things like this. We needed to make this hair believable. No one has ever done anything quite like this before, but we really pulled it off. This studio has invented a lot of new technology for this movie. Artistically, we’ve raised the bar.

What’s your favorite scene in Tangled?
One of my favorite sequences in the movie is the one we developed with the floating lanterns. Personally, these sequences are very special to me. Why? Well, let me tell you a little story… My wife and I headed to Bora Bora, Tahiti, for our 20th wedding anniversary. The Head Of Food Service at the resort we were staying at was an Italian guy, but he married an Indonesian woman and he had lived in Indonesia for years. He said to us, “I have something special for you.” And on our 20th anniversary, he brought out a lantern. He had us sign a little note to each other, which we taped to the top of the lantern, and then he lit it. It was dusk, we were on the beach and it was very romantic. The guy then said, “Kiss and let it go.” So we let it go and that beautiful lantern floated up into the Tahitian sky and drifted off into the distance.

That sounds incredibly romantic…
It was beautiful. We had dinner on the beach that night and we watched the lantern float away for about two hours until it was a tiny, little speck in the sky. It looked like a star up there. It was one of the most magical things that has ever happened to me, so when we started talking about doing something special for Tangled, I mentioned this story to the team. We got on the internet and we discovered that there are festivals in Southeast Asia where thousands of these lanterns light up the sky. We’d never seen anything quite like it, so it became an inspiration for the movie.

How would you describe Rapunzel?
Rapunzel is one of the most special characters we’ve ever created. She’s so beautiful, but more importantly, she’s empowered and talented. She really drives the story of Tangled. She wants to get outside and she wants to head off on an exciting adventure – and that’s exactly what she gets.

TANGLED is Available on 3D Blu-ray, 2D Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download formats March 29th!

Technorati Tags: Tangled, Walt Disney Studios, DVD, Blu-Ray, Inteview, Rapunzel, John Lasseter, Concept Art, Images, Animation, Feature Film

TIP ONE: ASK AWAY…
Papi says: “This dad business is harder than I thought. I should’ve read the manual – or at least some books! Don’t be scared to ask your friends and family for help or advice. After all, that’s what they’re here for. Oh, and invest in some parenting books. Every snippet of advice helps.”

TIP TWO: FOLLOW YOUR HEART…
Papi says: “Any mutt can have puppies, but it takes a real dog to be a father and that’s why my top piece of advice is simple: follow your heart. Fatherhood is more nerve-wracking than a trip to the vet, but you learn as you go along. Keep your chin up and your ears open – and embrace parenthood with an open heart.”

TIP THREE: PLAY AWAY…
Papi says: “It’s important to get active as a family, so put some time aside for outdoor activities and off-leash fun. Head to the beach, pool, garden or dog park with your litter – and play away. Get active, everyone!”

TIP FOUR: PAINT A PERFECT PUP PICTURE!
Papi says: “Art activates the creative part of the brain. Well, that’s what my friend Delgado tells me. Non-toxic paints for toddlers are great.”

TIP FIVE: PLAN SOME STORY TIME…
Papi says: “I’m always telling the puppies stories. It sometimes gets me into trouble with Chloe, but it’s a wonderful way to get the youngsters thinking. My family is descended from an ancient line of proud warriors and my little ones learn about their history when I tell them tales about our Aztec roots. Everyone loves a story – especially the pups.”

TIP SIX: FOOD FOR THOUGHT…
Papi says: “Get your children interested in healthy foods from an early age by offering them colorful and healthy chow like fresh fruit and vegetables. We prefer dog food, but you get the picture. Holy guacamole!”

TIP SEVEN: MORNING MAYHEM…
Papi says: “Does your kennel get messy in the morning? Well, don’t start the day off on the wrong paw… Give your children breakfast in their pajamas. If they spill anything, they don’t have to change their clean school clothes. It’s paw-fect!”

TIP EIGHT: PREPARE FOR RAINY DAYS…
Papi says: “You can’t go to the dog park if it’s raining outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a fun adventure. Why not have an indoor picnic? Place a blanket in an unusual corner of the house, sit down as a family and eat there. The tails will be wagging in no time!”

TIP NINE: SNACK ATTACK!
Papi says: “Do you live life on the run? Don’t worry! Always keep a healthy snack with you for the little ones in case of an emergency. No unhealthy fast food is needed if you keep some fruit or rice cakes with you at all times. Or a doggy treat, of course.”

TIP TEN: EAT BEFORE SHOPPING…
Papi says: “Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach – and make sure your little one has eaten, too. A fed youngster will make a much better Chihuahua companion at the shops – and this will also save you heaps of money too.”

TIP ELEVEN: TAKE A BAG OF TRICKS…
Papi says: “Heading out for a family meal or a long journey? Pack a small bag of toys, travel-size games or coloring-in and dot-to-dot booklets along with crayons and pencils. Keep the puppies occupied and they won’t get bored and restless.”

TIP TWELVE: BUY AN APRON…
Papi says: “I love getting dirty, but my special señorita, Chloe, is not so keen. That’s why I think we should invest in a full-length apron that covers her from top to bottom. If one of the pups is sick or the food goes flying at meal times, at least she won’t have to change outfits or waste time cleaning up. Plus, nobody is in the doghouse!”

TIP THIRTEEN: COLOR-CODED CUTIES…
Papi says: “Got more than one youngster in your litter? We have different colored collars on our pups to help tell them apart easily. Associate a color with each of your little ones and dress them accordingly. It doesn’t have to be an entire outfit; just a colored accessory like a dummy or bottle top will do the trick.”

TIP FOURTEEN: WATCH SOME TV…
Papi says: “Movies and TV shows can be good conversation starters for a young family – and they often lead to fun family discussions. Pop on a DVD every once in a while and watch together as a family. Our top tip? Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, of course!”

TIP FIFTEEN: HAVE FUN…
Papi says: “Take time out to enjoy the pups in your life. Throw a dance contest or a backyard race; set up random treasure hunts around the house; hold a teddy bear or doll party… Have fun with the little ones, enjoy yourself and get the whole gang’s tails wagging. That’s what family life is all about. Aye Chihuahua!”

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2 ON DVD & BLU-RAY 02/01/11!

Technorati Tags: Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, Papi’s Parenting Tips, Disney, DVD Release, Extras, Fun Feature, Dogs, Family Fun

Q: Is Becky a damsel in distress?
A: I guess she’s a little like a damsel in distress at the beginning of the movie. However, it gets a lot cooler for Becky as the story unfolds. She soon kicks butt and she gets to be a Lara Croft-type character. She gets to take control as she tries to save the world.

Q: How intimidating was it to walk onto the set of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for the first time?
A: I’ve done a lot of independent Australian films and other movies, but this was different because it was my biggest film role. I did my own hair and makeup on my first movie, and I even wrote half of my scenes. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was the polar opposite. It was a wonderful job.

Q: How much of the movie is special effects?
A: I think we shot about 75% of the film on sound stages. That means they had to recreate a lot of the iconic settings in the movie, like the Chrysler building. That stage was amazing. They built four stories of the building with the big eagle inside and they printed out sheets of the city view, so they put twinkling lights all around the place to represent the lights of the city. It was really beautiful. You forget you’re actually on a stage when you’re filming on a set like that. All of a sudden, they turn on the lights and you’re brought back to reality. You think to yourself, ‘Oh, wow… This isn’t real. It’s wood.’ It was weird, but it was very cool.

Q: How difficult is it to act in a CGI world?
A: It was certainly different. Someone will walk onto the stage with a special ball and wave it in front of you. They’ll explain that the ball is meant to be some sort of plasma bulb in your hand. Things like that are always a little bizarre. You have to start thinking in a different way, but it’s a great tool to learn.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to be an actress?
A: I grew up in Adelaide, Australia, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life when I graduated high school. I think it’s really difficult for an 18-year-old to know what they want to do for the next 50 years. I had no idea, but I worked on the weekends to earn some money and that’s when I met a director who asked if I wanted to be in his movie. He gave me a script and it was about youth suicide, which is an issue that’s on the increase in Australia, but it’s brushed under the carpet. I ended up doing the movie and it became a pretty controversial film. It got the attention of the Cannes Film Festival and it ended up premiering there, which is where my career started. As I said earlier, I did my own hair and makeup on the set of that first film and I wore my own clothes – and now I’m part of a huge blockbuster with Nicolas Cage. It’s been such a whirlwind ride for me. I picked up an agent in Cannes and they brought me straight to America to start work. And here I am.

Q: Who were your acting heroes when you were growing up?
A: I was a big fan of Audrey Hepburn when I was growing up, but I never thought of acting as a serious career option. There aren’t many opportunities to act in Adelaide and South Australia because there aren’t any big acting agencies there and we don’t have any acting schools. There aren’t many movies shot in Adelaide, so it was never a reality for me. I went to university and I started to teach – and then I was going to change careers to become a midwife because I’m obsessed with babies. But then the movie I worked on got picked up for Cannes and my life changed. It’s really weird how it all happened so quickly.

Q: How much has your life changed since you moved to Hollywood?
A: My life has mainly changed because I live in Los Angeles now and I’m away from my family and my friends in Australia. However, I’m the same person underneath. My friends come over to Los Angeles from Adelaide and they get blown away by everything here, but it’s just a job to me.

Q: Do you enjoy the Hollywood lifestyle with all its partying and red carpet events?
A: I’m not really a partygoer. I don’t drink alcohol at all. I don’t like the taste of it. A party for me involves board games in my pajamas on a Sunday night. We play Guesstures, Cranium and Twister – and that’s my idea of fun. I never go to events unless I need to go for work or to support a friend. To be honest, my life revolves around hanging out with my friends and going to the dog park. That’s about it, although I definitely get homesick from time to time.

Q: What do you miss the most from home?
A: I miss so much about Australia. I definitely miss the lifestyle because it feels much more laid back in Australia. We take work seriously, but your job does not define who you are. In Australia, we do our job but our friends, our family and our social life is equally as important, if not more important, than our work. It’s a refreshing way of life. I miss that and I miss my dogs at home as well.

Q: Do you still wash the dishes when you go home to Australia?
A: Of course I do! I love being back home because I stay with my mom. We cook together and I wear whatever I want as I walk my dogs down the street. Nobody looks at me twice in Adelaide. They don’t really care about the movie industry, so I get to be normal. I don’t have to worry about any of the other stuff that comes along with being an actor.

Q: What have you discovered in Hollywood that you never experienced at home in Australia?
A: I’ve discovered exercise since living in Los Angeles. Back in Adelaide, I would eat burgers all the time and I wouldn’t exercise at all – but it’s a big part of the culture in Los Angeles. You go for lunch and then you head to the gym or go on a hike and then you go out for dinner again. I’ve really got into exercise now. In fact, the most Hollywood thing about me is the fact that I have a personal trainer. He’s the guy who works with Jessica Biel because I want to get her bottom.

Q: Are you ambitious, Teresa?
A: Am I ambitious? Absolutely, but not in a detrimental way. I’m ambitious because I want to create good things and I want to be part of important and inspiring movies. However, I also want to do other things in my life. I want to have a family and I want to live a philanthropic life. I also want to start my own charity, as well as an animal shelter.

Q: What makes you happy?
A: I’m generally a very happy and bubbly person. Whenever I get unhappy it’s usually because I’m lonely or because of something trivial. If I didn’t get an audition I wanted or if I lost some self esteem because I didn’t get a job then I will certainly be unhappy for a while, but it soon passes.

Q: How do you cheer yourself up at times like that?
A: I find that writing my journal always helps me feel much better. It’s very therapeutic. I also find that being around my friends and my loved ones makes me very happy. The perfect day for me involves being near the beach in Adelaide with my friends and family. Everyone will be smiling and eating good food. We’ll chat, have fun and talk about fun times. That’s bliss to me. My work is bliss too, but it makes me smile to think of home.

**WALT DISNEY STUDIO HOME ENTERTAINMENT’S THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE ON DVD AND BLU-RAY NOVEMBER 30TH**

Technorati Tags: Interview, Walt Disney, Teresa Palmer, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Movie, Cast

Q: How important was it to transform your look for your role in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
A: Actors often change their looks for roles and I’m certainly part of that school of thought. In fact, I want to transform myself every time I get a new role. I’ll wear wigs, I’ll wear nosepieces, I’ll wear green contact lenses… I’ll do whatever I need to do to create a character. That’s what acting’s all about. That’s the fun of it.

Q: How would you describe the look of your character, Balthazar Blake?
A: Jerry Bruckheimer says that Balthazar has the look of an ancient rock star, and I have to agree with him. He has a cool style that harkens back to the 500s or the 600s, which is where he came from. Merlin was his teacher, so it was appropriate.

Q: How did it feel to play a sorcerer?
A: This is the role I’ve been waiting to do my whole life. When I was a kid, I used to love pretending to be a superhero. I was always playing around and shooting energy out of my hands. In that respect, I’ve been rehearsing for this role for years because Balthazar certainly shoots plasma out of his hands in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Q: How much of the movie is based on the sorcerer’s apprentice scenes of the Disney classic, Fantasia?
A: There are elements of the animation in the movie, but we fleshed out the idea into a two-hour action adventure. We have expanded the idea to present a thrilling magical world to audiences and I’m especially happy because it’s a family movie. I liked the idea of entertaining a family without having to rely on murder and guns. We’ve kept it very positive.

Q: Why did you want to make it a family movie?
A: I wanted to create a movie that excited both children and parents because I am a big fan of family movies. When you’re playing supernatural characters in movies like Ghost Rider, Next or The Sorcerer’s Apprentice there is an infinite number of possibilities that you can do with the character, but I wanted this to have comedy and humor – and I wanted it to connect with big audiences. Do you remember the first time you saw The Wizard Of Oz? Did you feel enchanted and magical? We wanted people to have those feelings at the end of our movie. That was our goal.

Q: How did Jerry Bruckheimer and Jon Turteltaub get involved with the project?
A: I talked the movie over with different writers and then we pitched the idea to Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney – and they loved it. I’d just finished National Treasure II with the director Jon Turteltaub and I thought he’d be perfect for the new movie. He likes to keep things in the fun zone and he keeps things comical, but he’s also edgy, so it was a good mix. He was the perfect man for the job.

Q: What does it mean to you to be associated with Disney?
A: It’s an honor and I feel greatly privileged to work with Disney. I grew up watching Walt Disney’s movies and I love what he stands for. I love the entertainment that comes out of the studio and this movie is a dream come true for me, which is in the spirit of Disney. It has been a magical experience.

Q: What was it like to work with Jay Baruchel, the actor who plays the sorcerer’s apprentice in the film?
A: Jay is great. He’s hilarious and he’s a really physical comedian when he wants to be, but he’s also got a little bit of a demon in him. He’s a little mischievous and there’s a playful dark side in him. He was a joy to work with on The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Q: Are you a fan of magic and wizards?
A: I definitely went through my magic phase when I was younger. I think all little boys do at some point. Everyone gets fascinated with magic tricks. I certainly did. I used to go to the Hollywood House Of Magic, which is where I bought a magic trick called ‘Gloripy’. It was a little handkerchief that had a ghost in it. The ghost would move the handkerchief around on its own – and it was really good. I could stun my friends with it. You feel very powerful when you have a magic trick up your sleeve. I used to love it.

Q: When was the last time you performed a magic trick?
A: Balthazar is a wonderful sorcerer in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, but it’s been a while since I used the Gloripy trick. I also had another trick called The Rising Deck Of Cards, too. I could point towards a deck of cards and pick a card – and the card of my choice would rise up. That was also a lot of fun to play with.

Q: Do you know any magical secrets?
A: Let me tell you something: Never give away your magical secrets. I worked on a movie in New Orleans where I used The Rising Deck Of Cards trick on a friend of mine. He kept asking me, “How are you doing that?” And I could tell he was getting a little nervous because he thought something weird was going on. That’s when I made the world’s worst mistake: I gave away the secret of my trick. He just threw the cards away after that and I lost all the power. Never give away your secrets.

Q: When was the last time you were an apprentice?
A: The last time I was an apprentice was on a movie called Season Of The Witch. I had to learn how to ride horses for that movie and a young woman named Camilla was my instructor. She did a wonderful job. I’d not been on a horse before, so I was a little nervous – but I learned to love it, which was exciting. I definitely felt like an apprentice there.

Q: What do you think is magical in our world today?
A: Any painting is a work of magic. Any book is a work of magic. Any science experiment is a work of magic. Any speech that moves people is a work of magic. When you think about magic, it’s not all hocus-pocus. It’s all about imagination and will power and positivity.

Q: Do you remember the first time you realized you wanted to act?
A: I knew I wanted to be an actor when I was about six years old. I was trying to figure out how to get inside the television set because I was fascinated by it. My father built a little castle out of plywood in our back yard and I would go in there for hours making up stories and characters.

Q: What characters did you make up?
A: I would pretend to be anything from a knight to a superhero to an astronaut. In fact, that castle was where I learned to act.

Q: Do you have any advice for youngsters who want to follow in your footsteps and act?
A: Keep the child in you alive because it’s your imagination that will connect you to audiences. Your imagination is your best tool to be an actor. Don’t let people try to diminish it or make you feel bad for having an imagination. Use it whenever you can. I would urge children to play as much as they can and use their imagination as much as possible. It will really help you as an actor. Follow your instincts, work hard and you’ll go far.

**WALT DISNEY STUDIO HOME ENTERTAINMENT’S THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE ON DVD AND BLU-RAY NOVEMBER 30TH**

Technorati Tags: Interview, Walt Disney, Nicholas Cage, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Movie, Cast

Q: Do you ever disagree with how Nicolas approaches a role?
A: There are always issues that come up during the shooting of a film. There will be a line or a certain move in a plot he doesn’t feel comfortable doing, but those are the things you work out with an actor. You want everyone to feel comfortable about who the character is and what the character says, so it’s great that he voices his opinion. Nick is wonderful because he writes some of his own dialogue in his movies. He doesn’t come up to me and say, “This doesn’t work.” He’ll say, “I’m not comfortable with this, but I could do it this way.” He’s always got great input.

Q: What does your role as a producer involve on a movie like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
A: I’m involved with the process of developing the screenplay with the writers. I’m involved in the casting and I also hire the director with the assistance of the studio. I’m very involved in the preparation for the filming and once the filming starts, I’m certainly there. However, I’m not there all the time; I leave that to the director. I look at all the dailies and if I feel that we’re missing something, I’ll certainly have a discussion with them. I also get involved in the editing with the director, I get involved with the composer, with the sound effects crew, with the mixing team and with all of the promotions, so I’m involved in every aspect of making the film.

Q: Which part of the filmmaking process is your favorite?
A: I think the editorial process is the most fun because that’s where you mold the clay. You have all this wonderful clay you’ve filmed and now you have to mold it into something that’s effective and entertaining. That’s what I love to do the most.

Q: Do you feel like a sorcerer when you make movies?
A: I never feel like a sorcerer. The magic comes from all of the people that I work with. I just throw them all together.

Q: Why is magic and sorcery so popular?
A: People always like to look at things that they don’t understand. I think that’s always fascinating to an audience. It’s entertaining to try and figure out what’s going on.

Q: What’s magical in the world today?
A: I think what I do is magic. With this movie, we have taken ideas from one scene in an animation and we have turned it into a film that has traveled around the world and entertained people. To me, that’s pure magic.

Q: So when did you last feel like an apprentice?
A: I’m still an apprentice. I’m still trying to learn what I’m doing here. I think you should always try to learn, especially from the people around you. That’s why I surround myself with talented people. You get a different perspective from each individual you work with – and that’s wonderful to me. If I don’t get up and learn something new every day then it’s not a successful day in my eyes.

Q: Why are classic tales of good versus evil, like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, so entertaining?
A: Because tales of good versus evil involve a lot of drama. When you have villains, you’ve got drama because you’ve got somebody pushing against your heroes. It always takes a great protagonist and antagonist to make a good film – and I certainly think we have that with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Q: Can you talk about the casting of Jay Baruchel in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice?
A: I’ve always been a fan of Jay Baruchel. In fact, we cast him in a television show years ago and I’ve always thought he was an exceptional actor. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor and a quirky side to him that I think audiences love. I think he’s going to go far.

Q: Is it true that you have an interesting compilation of photographs taken on your film sets?
A: That is true. I always shoot pictures on sets because I love capturing images of the films we make. I have a nice collection of photographs and I even had an exhibition of stuff we shot on Pirates Of The Caribbean. It ran in a few countries in Europe and hopefully they’ll do it again at some stage in the future.

Q: When did your passion for photography start?
A: When I was about 6 years old, I had an uncle who was a photo buff. He would always buy new cameras and I ended up with one of his old ones. There are loads of photos of me with that camera around my neck when I was a child, so I was always taking pictures from the time I was very little.

Q: As a child, did you have a magic box of tricks?
A: I certainly did have a magic box as a child. I wasn’t very nimble at it because the tricks would fly all over the place, but I was certainly fascinated by it.

Q: Did you dream about becoming a filmmaker from a young age?
A: I did. I was always thinking, ‘I want to be part of the magic that goes up on that 100-foot screen… How do you get involved in that?’ It took me a while to figure it out, but I finally got there.

Q: Did you have a back-up plan in case you didn’t make it as a filmmaker?
A: I don’t know what my Plan B would have been. I have no idea. To be honest, I didn’t even know what my Plan A was. I just kept moving forward and this is where I ended up.

Q: What dreams do you have left to fulfill?
A: Well, I’ve recently started a video game company, so that’s something we’re working on at the moment. We’ll have to see where that goes.

Q: Did Disney have an impact on your life as a child?
A: I think Mickey Mouse had an impact on every young kid when I was growing up. I watched a lot of cartoons when I was growing up, along with the animated features like Snow White. I am a big fan of all the wonderful classic Disney animations that my parents took me to see. I’m also a big fan of Disney.

Q: Your recent work with Disney is very family-oriented. Do you have any harder-hitting movies in the pipeline?
A: I have a range of projects in the pipeline and some of them certainly involve hard-hitting subjects. My company recently bought a book called Horse Soldiers, which is about the first soldiers that entered Afghanistan right after 9/11. The book tells their story and that’s something we hope to bring to the screen at some stage. It’s pretty hard-hitting and is similar to the stories of Black Hawk Down and The Hurt Locker.

Q: You’re also working on the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie. What can you tell us about it?
A: I’m very excited about the new Pirates movie. It’s a wonderful combination of very imaginative writers and a fantastic director, Rob Marshall. Good material draws good actors and good directors – and that’s certainly the case with this project because Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Jeffrey Rush are amazing.

Q: What does Rob Marshall bring to the project?
A: Rob Marshall trained as a dancer and a choreographer, and then he became a director. He’s done a lot of television and some very successful films, but I’ll think he’ll add a lot of humor to the movies, as well as some wonderful action sequences. He’s an artist and he’ll do it differently than other people in the past. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.

**WALT DISNEY STUDIO HOME ENTERTAINMENT’S THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE ON DVD AND BLU-RAY NOVEMBER 30TH**

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